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Space Invaders Pocket Preview

Just going by the source material, the chances of Space Invaders Pocket coming to North America are very slim.

But hey, there are Space Invader fans out there, and this is the 21st century -- anyone interested in this game can always track down an import shop and shell out the $45 or so to bring this bad boy home (PSP is not region locked, FYI).

Space Invaders Pocket is actually a collection of 5 related games.

Space Invaders (1978)

Space Invaders Part 2 (1979)

Return of the Invaders (1985)

Majestic 12: Space Invaders Part IV (1990)

Space Invaders '95: Attack of Lunar Loonies (1995)

Each game takes the basic Space Invaders concept (alien ships at the top, your ship at the bottom) and expands on it with updated graphics and gameplay. Space Invaders Part 2 introduced multiple background overlays and stronger alien ships. 1985's Return of the Invaders introduced moving alien ship formations, similar to those found in Galaga and Galaxian. Majestic 12, published in 1990, was the first Invaders game to feature city-scape backgrounds, and also upped the ante with bosses. The last game in the series, Space Invaders '95, further tipped the scales with multiple bosses and power-up items, and it also sent the series in a comical direction thanks to its hilarious cartoon-style ship graphics.

There isn't much more to Space Invaders Pocket than that. All 5 included games are single-play only. The disc does not make use of the PSP's wi-fi features. On the upside, the retail price is a "measly" 3800 yen.